Unprecedented growth in earthbag building is being fueled by Nepal’s huge need for affordable housing and schools.
Nepal
Roofed Half Dome Design
This is a new house design that I just thought up yesterday. Basically, it’s a dome shape that’s cut off at the 8’ height level with a roof on top. The main benefit is to replace the harder to build top portion of the dome with a faster, easier to construct roof that will protect the earthbag walls. This is a good design for earthquake regions like Nepal that get a lot of rain. Lightweight roofs are preferable to heavy roofs in seismic areas, plus domes will have moisture problems and mold in rainy climates. Metal roofing would be a good choice for this design.
Low Cost Village Housing for Nepal
The greatest need for housing in Nepal is in poor rural villages. Not only can they not afford cement and steel, it’s not practical to carry these heavy materials 1-2 days over mountain passes. We need to identify the most practical low cost earthbag building methods and create a document showing best practices.
Terra Cotta Decorative Brick
A highlight of my trip to Nepal has been the traditional Newari brick. Beautiful examples of this architectural terra cotta clay brick abound in Kathmandu. Terra cotta brick and tiles are very affordable because they’re made with low fired clay.
Earthbag Building Nepal Radio Interview
Namaste Nepal Radio Show interview of Owen Geiger and Vava Pragya, the earthbag workshop coordinator who’s playing a pivotal role in organizing the training in Nepal. Interview starts at 2:20. Commercial breaks about 14:00-22:00 and 32:00-39:10.
Low Cost Earthbag Options for Nepal
Budgets are obviously limited for most every project in Nepal, while at the same time the need for affordable housing and schools is almost endless – hundreds of thousands of new, safe structures are needed. Here are a few suggestions to rebuild sustainably and affordably.